The Legend of Ransei
by Imperator Justinian
Summary: Ransei is in chaos. Nobunaga begins his conquest in the north, mercilessly carving through Ransei. Meanwhile in the south, two new warlords have risen to power in Aurora, and are forced to fight not only to unify the region, but to save it from Nobunaga's Ambition.
1. The New Warlords

Hello there! As I promised a while back; I've officially rebooted this story, which was the first (concentrated) attempt at creating a novelized version of the main story of Conquest. I'm hoping to utilize the experience I've gained over the course of the time I took this story down to make this better than it ever was. So I won't keep you waiting, whether your an old reader or a Pokemon Conquest fan who happened to stumble upon this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, Koei or anything associated with them.

* * *

The moon shone brightly down on Avia and the mountain that it jutted out of, creating a certain calm that would have given the appearance of serenity, despite its current situation. At the base of the massive landform the attacking Oda Army was utilizing a vast amount of torches to keep the area visible as it engaged itself in a heated debate, giving away its location in the process.

"At this rate we will never capture Avia."

"Nonsense, Mitsuhide. We must be patient for a little longer and their endurance shall crumble."

"And how much is "a little longer", Ieyasu? A month? Or, given your penchant for sitting, perhaps a year." the steel-clad man glowered at No, who only produced a playful smile across her porcelain face, gleeful at striking a nerve with the portly man.

The Oda camp was abuzz with debate over what to do with the staggering siege of Avia. Entrenched at the foot of the mountain that the castle was built into, every attempt to seize it had been repulsed in one way or another, leading to a stalemate that seemed to have lasted forever.

Nobunaga himself sat at the end of their impromptu council, utilizing his armor-encased hand to support his head as he looked on, his black eyes moving lazily between his generals as they debated. Finally he straightened his posture, his obsidian colored armor creating quite the racket as he did so.

"Enough." even though he only uttered one word, every head in the camp turned in his direction.

"If they will not meet us in an open battle, then we will force them out of their foxholes. Burn Avia to the ground." Everyone was silent for a few tense moments after he had given his command. Finally Mitsuhide stood up from his folding stool and shook his head incredulously before he began, his long hair swaying as a result.

"My-My Lord, you can't possibly be serious. What about-" Nobunaga raised his hand, silencing the blue-clad general.

"The castle is built far enough from the town that no citizens will come to harm, and the garrison can merely fly away. Nobunaga has thought this through, Mitsuhide. Your qualms are irrelevant." Mitsuhide became tongue tied at that, but still refused to sit down.

"But the winds! They could carry the flames downwards." Nobunaga only chuckled.

"Or upwards, if the heavens favor Nobunaga. War is not an exact science Mitsuhide... You must come to understand that, if we are to ever bring peace."

"Y-Yes... Yes, My Lord." Mitsuhide then slowly took his seat once again, having an internal debate over the morality of what they were planning.

"Katsuie." Nobunaga said, without even directing his gaze away from the confused warlord.

"Yes, My Lord?" a large, bearded man replied, standing up from his seat quickly.

"Nobunaga entrusts to you the success of the fire attack." He only bowed in reply, before quickly and wordless striding out of the encampment.

"If all of Ransei must be destroyed and made new again for peace to come, then so be it. But Nobunaga's Ambition must not be stopped, for the good of the land." As his last statement caused even more murmuring among the remaining generals, a young teen, clad in pink and white, could only stare on in horror.

"_Destroy Ransei!? He can't possibly be serious! But... If brother's willing to go as far as to burn Avia to the ground, then what else is he willing to do?_" She then looked down at the round pink Pokémon she cradled in her arms, silently asking it for any advice, only to see that it was just as concerned as she was.

"_I-I- I can't let brother do that! If his ambition is going to destroy Ransei, then I have to find someone who can stop him!_" While everyone else was distracted with their discussions, she quickly parted the goldenrod cloth that served as a wall to the camp and ran away as fast as her feet could carry her.

Away from Nobunaga, his army and his ambition.

And in the distance, Avia was consumed by an inferno; giving it the illusion of being a giant torch in the dark night sky.

* * *

It was a clear, sunny afternoon in Aurora, without a cloud in the sky. Despite the upbeat atmosphere of the day, two teens slowly and sullenly walked down the dirt road that led through the fields on the outskirts of Aurora and into the small hamlet.

It was clear to the few farmers who were busy working that they were siblings, most likely twins; looking to be of the same age, sharing the same chestnut colored hair and blue eyes. The girl was glancing downwards as she walked forward, to the Eevee that was napping contentedly in her arms and then to her pristine, metallic boots, pristine to the point they could be mistaken for porcelain, as they kicked up small amounts of dirt with every step she took.

The boy was just as distracted as his sister, and despite looking straight ahead at the clear road, his eyes were glazed over slightly, indicating he was lost in thought and paying little attention to the path. The brown, fox-like Pokemon that was perched on his shoulder noticed this and nudged his cheek slightly, shaking him out of his stupor. He wordlessly scratched it's chin in return, a way of saying thanks. Finally the girl spoke up, breaking the tense atmosphere that had formed.

"I can't believe uncle is-" she started to speak shakily, only to find herself incapable of finishing her sentence.

"Gone." the boy said, completing her thought in the most diplomatic way possible. After that the two remained silent, slowly trudging into the small, wooden town.

They walked down the small, main road of the hamlet that led directly to the small wooden structure that served as the castle. When they stopped when they reached the wooden gates, staring at it expectantly for a few moments. When the gates failed to open, and no one called out from the gatehouse, the boy decided to knock on the large wooden doors. Despite the resounding sound, neither teens could hear any motion on the other side, prompting the boy to reach into the leather knapsack he was carrying and pull out a folded piece of paper.

"I don't get it, Kazumi." he said as he unfolded the paper.

"The letter said that we were supposed to come to Aurora Castle." He then passed the letter to Kazumi, who despite holding her napping Eevee, managed to read it.

"I don't know... Maybe-"

"Hey you two!" The two twins and their Pokemon jumped up in shock at the sudden shouting, and quickly turned around. They saw an apron-wearing man approaching them, who was pointing the end of the broom he was carrying at them.

"What are you two doing!?" he shouted, clearly not happy about their presence.

"We were-"

"I know your type!" he suddenly shouted, overpowering the two. "Soldiers of fortune! I bet you're here to take our castle!"

"No! We're here for-"

Well, you can't have it! There's a monster living inside."

"Monster?" Kazumi shakily asked, visions of a large, dragon-like Pokemon surrounded by skeletons assailing her mind. Her brother and the shopkeeper paid no attention to her and continued their spontaneous argument.

"Will you stop interrupting me!" After that it just turned into a short-lived shouting match, which the shopkeeper quickly ended by hitting the boy over the head with his broom, causing the teen's red scarf to fall from his neck. As he bent down to pick it up, the shopkeeper noticed a symbol of two olive branches emblazoned on the side.

"I know that symbol..." he muttered, trying to come up with where he had seen it before.

"Oh, That's Lord Sorin's crest! You two must be his-" As the shopkeeper said that he trailed off, before his eyes grew wide in shock at the realization of who he was having an argument with. The man the got on his knees and raised his hands over his head, begging for their forgiveness in a flurry of barely intelligible words. Kazumi reeled back slightly in embarrassment at the man's sudden change in mood, while her brother only turned his head indignantly.

"It's fine, really. You were only trying to defend your home." The shopkeeper calmed down at her reassurance and looked up at them.

"Ya really forgive me?" She smiled warmly in return.

"Of course we do. Right, Tadashi?" Tadashi still refused to look at the man, which prompted his twin to elbow him in his armor-covered ribs. He flinched and immediately clutched his smarting side, but still replied halfheartedly.

"Fine. I forgive you." Before the easily excitable man could let off a series off thank yous, Kazumi preempted him with another question.

"So is there really a monster in the castle?"

"No, it's just something we said to scare off any wannabe attackers." The shopkeeper then got off of his knees, dusted off his apron, and then went up to the black, wooden gates.

"If they weren't scared off by you already..." Tadashi muttered, which earned him another elbow to the ribs from his sister.

"Hey, Keiji! You can let these two in!" the shopkeeper shouted. The gates then creaked as they swung open, revealing a massive, muscular man that might have been mistaken for a monster from a distance.

"Took ya long enough! It was starting to get boring with only the maid and that dusty ol' clerk to talk to."

"Clerk?" the twins asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, he's back in the study. I bet he wants to see ya." He whistled sharply, causing a large gray mass behind him to start moving towards him, to the twins' shock.

"Time to go, Bastiodon." The Pokemon only yawned in return and the twins parted, letting him and his Pokemon move.

"Hey, wait!" Keiji and Bastiodon, who were past the gatehouse by now, turned back. "Aren't you part of Aurora's Army?"

"Nah, I was just hired to keep watch over the castle till you two arrived. Be seeing ya!" He and his Pokemon then continued their descent into the small village, until all that could be seen of them was the top of Keiji's long, unruly blond hair.

"Well, I imagine that we have to go see this "clerk" over the letter. What do you think Eevee?" Kazumi asked, holding up the letter.

"Bui Bui." The small Pokemon next to her replied. It then jumped up her outstretched arm and onto her head, sitting down between the two golden maedates sticking out of her brown hair. The two twins then trotted into the white castle via the open doors to find themselves in the small foyer. When they walked through the small room and into the throne room, the two found themselves immediately slowing their pace.

"It's... been a long time." the girl said as she took a seat on one of the chairs off to the side, blankly looking across the room.

"Yeah..." was all Tadashi said in return, staring at the old chair that served as a throne, as if staring straight into the past. The two stayed where they were in silence, their Pokemon respectfully staying quiet. Finally Kazumi painfully tore away from her seat, and slowly stood up.

"C'mon. If I remember correctly the study is this way." When her brother made no motion to move, she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly. He sighed and then nodded in response and followed her down the hallway to the right. The two walked down the bare hallway, every step they took creating a slight echo, before stopping at the door at the end of the passage. Tadashi reached out and knocked a few times.

"Come in," someone replied. Tadashi opened the door and let his sister inside before following closely, to find themselves looking at a middle-aged man dressed in a large, white kimono. When he saw the two his weary face immediately brightened, and he put down the quill he was writing with.

"Ah, you've finally arrived. Please, take a seat my lord and lady." The two sat down in the chairs in front of the man's cluttered desk, with Tadashi putting his knapsack over the seat and furrowing his brow at the sight of the man.

"You look vaguely familiar."

"Ah, you do remember me. Given it's been eight years since your last visit I'm pleasantly surprised, actually. Either way, I am Naoshige Nabeshima, and I take it you've gathered the reason why I sent you the letter," the man said, his voice becoming a bit sullen at the mention of the letter. Kazumi only folded her hands in her lap while Tadashi nodded.

"As you are Lord Sorin's next of kin, the control of Aurora falls to you. I think it might be a good idea though, to get acquai-" Before Naoshige could finish his recommendation, another teen ran into the room, followed closely by a Jigglypuff.

"Mr. Nabeshima! Keiji's gone and there are warriors from-" The auburn-haired teen stopped when she saw the other two teens sitting in the room.

"Warriors?" the twins asked.

"It would sound as if you'll be fighting your first battle sooner than I thought. Oichi, escort them to the enemy." Oichi bowed and turned to leave with the two twins in tow, only for Kazumi to turn around.

"Aren't you going to fight with us?" Naoshige only grew a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm afraid not. I'm not much of a fighter and might be more of a hindrance than a help." Kazumi only nodded as her Eevee jumped off of her head, and the two quickly chased after Tadashi and Oichi, who were frantically running down the hallway.

* * *

Kazumi and her Eevee finally managed to catch up with her brother and Oichi. The two were already out in the courtyard across from the three invading warriors. She lined up next to her brother, with her Eevee doing likewise.

"So, you're all here, eh?" the opposing warrior in the middle commented. "Well, I feel bad since this is your first day as a warlord and all, but orders are orders! Bidoof, Headbutt!" The brown, plump Pokemon that was in front of the warrior charged head first at the Pokemon straight across from him: Tadashi's Eevee.

"Assist with Helping Hand, Eevee!" Kazumi's Eevee placed it's paw on its counterpart, enveloping it in a strange glow.

"Meet Bidoof head on with Quick Attack!" Tadashi's Eevee charged forward, leaving a large white streak in its wake, and collided head first with the rapidly approaching Bidoof. The impact sent Bidoof reeling back across the field, followed by Eevee launching another Quick Attack on Tadashi's order.

"I don't think so. Ember, Tepig!" The Pig-like Pokemon standing nearby the downed Bidoof proceeded to shoot off a series of small flames from its orange snout at the charging Eevee, forcing it to swerve frantically.

"Scratch, Pansear!" Eevee who had been unknowingly redirected to the Pansear on the right, was quickly swiped away with a swift attack from the red simian that raked across its brown face.

"Quick Attack on Tepig!"

"We need to draw the enemy away from Lord Tadashi, Jigglypuff, Sing." Kazumi's Eevee charged towards the Tepig that was approaching Tadashi's downed Eevee, Jigglypuff sent out a steady stream of colorful notes at Pansear.

While Kazumi's Eevee successfully slammed into Tepig, knocking it away, and Pansear was now peacefully sleeping, Bidoof had crashed into Eevee with a Rollout before the latter had gotten up. Bidoof, who was rapidly rolling around, quickly spun around just as the fox-like Pokemon had managed to get back on its feet.

"Use Sand Attack and blind it!"

"Bui!" Eevee replied before spinning around and using its hind legs to kick up a large amount of dirt, dust and sand, creating a large smokescreen the the Plump Mouse Pokemon got lost in.

"Now Quick Attack!"

"Defense Curl, Bidoof!" Eevee charged into the cloud, fading into obscurity, before a loud crash resounded and a balled up Bidoof was shot out of it as if it were a ball that had just been kicked.

"Finish Bidoof off with Bite!"

"Stop it with another Headbutt!" ordered the burly warrior.

"Doubleslap, Jigglypuff!" Both heads turned to see that Jigglypuff, having just finished off Pansear who was being carried away by its partner, was charging at Bidoof from the right. Bidoof slammed i's stubby feet into the ground to stop its charge, and turned to face the round Pokemon, only for Jigglypuff to quickly start smacking it across the face. Tadashi's Eevee then made one last charge, jumped up, and landed jaws first on Bidoof. The Pokemon cried out in pain, but managed to literally shake the Evolution Pokemon off its back. Before anyone could issue another attack, Tepig crashed into Bidoof, having been sent flying by Eevee's latest attack, and the two Pokemon collapsed in a crumpled heap.

"Retreat!" the burly warrior in the middle cried out, quickly picking up the two unconscious Pokemon before turning and running with his two cohorts out of the courtyard.

"We did it!" Kazumi exclaimed, catching her enthusiastic Eevee in her arms.

"Well done my Lord, my Lady." Oichi said, a small smile spread across her countenance.

"Oichi, right?" Tadashi asked, to which she nodded.

"Thanks, I don't think the battle would have gone the same without you." The girl, who as now was cradling her Jigglypuff again, seemed genuinely taken aback at the compliment. Tadashi raised his eyebrow in turn, making her a bit more nervous.

"I-I'm sorry, I just usually don't get compliments on how I battle."

"Puff." her Pokémon replied as well. Tadashi then smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, you should be proud either way on how you fought."

"Why don't we go tell Naoshige that we can stay?" The other two nodded and the three and their Pokémon headed back into the wooden keep.

* * *

The three warriors marched up a hill overlooking Aurora, where two figures, each mounted on a Ponyta, awaited them.

"Report, Koroku," the ghostly pale, black clad figure on left ordered as the burly warrior and his two cohorts got to the top of the hill. The muscular warrior, presumably Koroku, then knelt down on one knee in front of the mounted man.

"Two Eevees and one Jigglypuff. They're more powerful than we thought."

"Thank you, Koroku. Head on back to Ignis, I'm sure Hideyoshi will need you for something," the mounted, robed warrior on the right said.

"Yes, Lord Hanbei, Lord Kanbei." Koroku then got back up and, with the other two warriors and Pokémon in tow, continued their march down the hill.

"Well, let's get going Kanbei. I sure hope these new Warlords can be enough of a challenge to keep us awake, right Pikachu?" The warrior then reached up to the floppy hat that covered most of his messy black hair and shook a small, yellow Pokémon, causing it to stir.

"Pika..." it said before shifting over and going back to sleep.

"Let us hope that is not the case, Hanbei." Kanbei replied, a black, lamp-like Pokémon materializing behind him seconds later. Kanbei then snapped the reigns of his Ponyta slightly, urging the Pony Pokémon to go forward. Hanbei did likewise and the two started to slowly descend the hill, headed towards Aurora.

* * *

And with that, the first chapter of The (rebooted) Legend of Ransei is finished.

So, for those of you wondering, I will be including Katsuie, Toshiie and Sakon in this story. A lot of people who played Samurai Warriors wondered why these three characters weren't included in the game, and the only reason I can think of is that they simply ran out of room for them, since they wanted to keep it to a limit of three warlords per kingdom in the story (hence why Hanzo is with Nene instead of Ieyasu).

Anyways, I appreciate any feedback on how I did (even if it's a rant on what I did wrong), and I hope I can get the next chapter up relatively soon.


	2. Emissaries from Ignis

Yeesh, three months... All I can say is I am terribly sorry, and I hope the quality of this chapter will make up for the lack of activity. Anyways, I hope I got the sibling dynamic down well in this chapter, since being an only child it's a bit difficult to convey personal experience from that. And now for something completely different:

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, Koei or anything affiliated with them.

* * *

After the trio had returned to the castle and told Naoshige of their victory, he offered to take them out to lunch to celebrate. After having been on the road for so long the two new Warlords were all too eager for a bite to eat. So Naoshige led them down into the small hamlet to the local Ponigiri shop, only for the twins to discover the owner was the same shopkeeper from before.

The scene that followed was an awkward one. Tadashi just scoffed, closing his eyes and turning his head, Kazumi bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say, and the shopkeeper suddenly became interested in the various knots in the wooden counter. While Oichi and her Jigglypuff were confused with the scene, Naoshige seemed blissfully ignorant and was glancing over the menu.

"Hmm... I'm not sure what to get. What would you recommend Rikyu?" The shopkeeper, presumably Rikyu, looked up from his inspection of the surface.

"I'd just made a fresh batch of Purple Ponigiri." Naoshige nodded in response.

"That sounds good. What about you three?"

"I haven't had a Purple Ponigiri in years! Why not? Oh, and two for the Eevee, please." Kazumi exclaimed, her mouth watering at the thought of the treat.

"What do you want, Jigglypuff?" Jigglypuff pointed a stubby arm at the menu item that it wanted, followed by a recitation of its name. "I suppose a Blue Ponigiri sounds good."

"Nothing for me." the male twin muttered.

"Really? You're not hungry in the slightest?" his counterpart asked cynically.

"Nope." Kazumi scowled in an almost motherly fashion.

"You have to eat something. I'm not going to have you start complaining you're hungry twenty minutes later because you didn't get anything to eat for one stupid reason or the other." Tadashi scowled back.

"I only did that once!" his sister's gaze got more intense, prompting him to back down.

"Okay... maybe more than once." the maedate-wearing warlord admitted sheepishly, followed with a sigh.

"Fine, if you insist, I'll just have some rice." Rikyu, who had been writing down the orders on a slip of paper, nodded, and disappeared into the stall. He came out moments later, carrying a tray of the ordered items out to the customers. Though Kazumi reached into a small pouch tied around the sash at her waist, reaching for a few gold coins, Naoshige objected to her paying and simply tossed a few coins of his own to Rikyu.

* * *

After finding a rather shady place to eat, considering the lack of clouds made the sun seem overbearing on such an otherwise mild day, the group of warlords went to talking about business while enjoying their meals. Despite his earlier objections, Tadashi scarfed down the small amount of food he had, which only prompted further teasing from his sister.

This in turn sparked an argument between the two, which somehow got on the topic of who had seniority. What followed was the two other warriors and the Pokémon eating their food uncomfortably while they watched a civil war unfold before them.

"Well, I was born a few minutes earlier than you! So naturally I have seniority." Kazumi stated proudly.

"And the humility to match..." Tadashi muttered.

"What was that?" It was clear that was not a question. Tadashi only scoffed and turned his head.

"It doesn't matter. Uncle did favor me to rule Aurora anyways." Before either brown haired twin could continue the squabble, Oichi decided it was time to interject with a reasonable solution.

"Why not battle for Aurora rather than just argue?" Both of the twins blinked blankly, only for Tadashi to whistle sharply. The two Eevees, who were perfectly content to watch their masters argue from the sidelines, immediately sprang from their location underneath the wooden table. The two foxlike Pokémon came to a grinding halt before their partners, who had gained some distance between each other in a few seconds.

"Start out with a Quick Attack, Eevee!" Tadashi's Eevee replied with an enthusiastic 'Bui', and then rocketed off from its spot.

"Stop Eevee with Sand Attack!" Kazumi's Eevee turned around and started to kick up a cloud of dust and sand, one that anyone could easily get lost in.

"Dig and avoid it!" the male's Eevee used the momentum of its charge to jump and burrow back into the ground, leaving behind only a hole as the only evidence it had fled underground.

"Stay alert, Eevee. We don't know where the attack will be coming from." Eevee obeyed its mistress' command, looking around for any indication of where the attack would come from: eroded soil, pebbles shaking, or any sort of vibration. But to the frustration of both Pokémon and Warlord, there was none to be found.

"Now, Quick Attack!" Tadashi shouted. His sister and her Eevee immediately scrambled about looking for the attack, only for them to ignore the giant cloud of dust that Kazumi's Eevee had kicked up minutes earlier, the same one that the opposing Eevee leapt out of in a streak of white.

"Thanks for giving us some cover." the white and black armored warlord taunted, as his Pokémon connected with its shocked opponent. Kazumi's Eevee reeled back from the attack, but quickly countered with a Quick Attack of its own, sending the other Pokémon back into the dust cloud.

* * *

As the twin's battle continued to rage on, they failed to notice that they had attracted a rather large crowd of observers. This obliviousness was also shared by three children, who were walking down the back alley of a few buildings that lead to the main road, too caught up in their arguing to notice the crowd.

"We've been here for a few days Mistunari, and still there's no treasure! I'm startin' to think it's just a myth." the scruffiest of the trio complained. The other kid he was complaining to suddenly spun around, the oversized, hairy headdress that was precariously perched on his head falling and covering his face. He immediately adjusted it, so that it no longer covered his face and some of his auburn hair, and growled at the raven haired companion.

"Oh can it, you idiot! I'm positive that Sorin hid that horde of gold somewhere in Aurora, and once we find it we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams." The third member of the trio then stepped between the two, his tan arms reaching out to push the two apart.

"Calm down you two, arguing won't get us- what's going on over there?" The other two looked in the direction that the green wearing boy had suddenly gazed over at, and saw that the entryway to the road was filled with spectators.

"Whatever it is, it's probably more interesting than this conversation." Mitsunari quipped before turning in the direction of the crowd. Being as the crowd towered over the three children, Mitsunari decided to push his way through to get to the front. Unfortunately for him, a few people in the crowd had other ideas. And unfortunately for the crowd, Mitsunari's response was a metal boot to the shin and a sarcastic remark while the other two apologized in his stead. After having shoved and kicked his way to the front, with his to compatriots close behind him, the trio could finally get a good view of the Pokémon Battle between the two warlords in front of them.

"Oh cool! A Pokémon Battle!" the raven haired of the group exclaimed, throwing his fists into the air in a display of excitement. Mitsunari only rolled his eyes.

"It's just that Masanori. Come on, we have better things to do with our time."

"Like plotting to steal the fortune of a dead man?" the tan, grey haired member of the group commented.

"Don't tell me you're enjoying this frivolity too, Kiyomasa?"

"You need to learn to relax every once in a while Mitsunari." Mistunari groaned, but before he could complain a command rang out from the street.

"Use Dig once again, Eevee!" Mistunari only turned to face the battlefield in time to see the male Warlord's Eevee pop up from underneath his counterpart, sending it flying towards the boy. Mitsunari caught the brown Pokémon in his gauntleted hands, looking straight into its black eyes, only to toss it back onto the field.

The Eevee, or its partner for that matter, did not seem to mind the action and Kazumi ordered the small Pokémon to build off the momentum of the action with a Quick Attack.

* * *

Two robed warriors, each mounted on a Ponyta, were slowly descending the hills overlooking Aurora. As they neared the sleepy hamlet, the one is white was surprised to find most of the citizenry in the center of the village.

"Say Kanbei, what do you think is going on?" The strategist in white wondered.

"A power struggle." the strategist in black replied blandly, showing more interest in the proximity of his Lampent.

"Wouldn't it be a bit too early for that?"

"Emotions can easily ignite tension." Hanbei only sighed, but figured it would be better to not argue.

"Well, why don't we get a closer look?" Kanbei remained silent, only lightly snapping the reins of his mount to go faster. Hanbei did likewise, though much more subtly to not wake his napping Pikachu.

* * *

"Quick Attack, Eevee!" both Warlords shouted simultaneously. The two Eevees, each beleaguered from the prolonged fight and the multiple blows they had traded, charged forward for one last attack. The two clashed headfirst, the collision sending both combatants backwards in a pained conclusion.

Both Eevees landed in front of their partners on the dirt road, unmoving and unconscious. Both twins were speechless at the development, and no one, crowd or combatant, save Oichi, noticed Naoshige stand up from the table the four had been sitting at.

"Well, this worked out quite well." that solitary sentence drew the attention of the warlords, two pairs of blue eyes intensely glaring at him with curiosity.

"What?"

"Ah, yes. You see; Lord Sorin stated in his will that he wanted the two of you to try to co-rule Aurora-" the white wearing man was immediately cut off by the duo.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SOONER!?" Naoshige blanched at the combined fury of Tadashi and Kazumi, but quickly recomposed himself.

"I figured this would happen eventually, so why not let it happen while relatively little damage could have been done rather than later?" Kazumi bit her bottom lip in a silent contemplation, lowering her head in a subtle shame, while her brother only scratched the back of his, the logic behind Naoshige's words starting to sink in.

"I guess we were acting pretty childish, huh?" he said.

"Yeah... and our Pokémon were the ones to pay the price." Kazumi continued. As the two turned to each other, a rather lax voice rang out from the crowd.

"Make way, please! Excuse us." the people in the south parted, letting two mounted warriors through to the Warlords, who immediately turned to face their visitors.

"I guess you were right, Kanbei." the frighteningly pale one on the left only nodded at his beret wearing partner's admission.

"Yes. Now for business. We are-" Hanbei's brown eyes darted from one warlord to the other, and then to the unconscious Pokémon they were holding, and intervened before Kanbei could continue.

"Emissaries from Ignis." both Kanbei and Naoshige raised an eyebrow at his declaration, each for their own reason.

"Odd that Emissaries would show up from the same Kingdom that had sent warriors to attack us only hours before." the white robed Auroran remarked suspiciously.

"Odd indeed..." Kanbei muttered, quiet enough to the point that Hanbei would be the only one to hear. Ignoring his friend's comment, Hanbei tried to respond as best he could

"Um, well... Lord Hideyoshi wanted to test their strength before battling your Warlords himself." Hanbei said with a disarming smile, the now awake Pikachu perched on his head doing the same.

"You may send him our thanks. I'm quite sure he will be able to experience it firsthand soon enough." Naoshige replied, disbelief plastered across his face. Hanbei only nodded and turned his mount away from Aurora, gesturing for an amused Kanbei to follow. As the two strategists took their leave, Tadashi asked the one question that had formed in everyone's mind.

"What was that about?"

* * *

The ride up the hills for the two warriors had been decidedly silent, only the sound of the horseshoes and the occasional Pokémon darting through the grass to keep the duo company. Hanbei was gazing up at the clear skies, his Pikachu napping contently in his lap. Kanbei's Lampent floated close behind, swing to and fro as a breeze picked up through the plain. Kanbei reached back and steadied the Pokémon, before turning to a droopy eyed Hanbei.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" Kanbei asked his mounted compatriot, an eyebrow raised in inquiry once more. Hanbei sighed heavily before giving a reply.

"I dunno, Kanbei; I just don't think it's right to take advantage of someone else's misfortune." Kanbei only shook his head disapprovingly.

"We fight for peace Hanbei, and that takes priority. Even if it means we have to fight dishonorably."

"Maybe showing some mercy is a sign of true strategy. And tact." Kanbei only chuckled lowly in response.

"Believe what you will, but this mishap was your doing regardless."

"I know..." the strategist muttered sullenly. "Hideyoshi won't be happy."

* * *

"Well, this has been an interesting day." Naoshige commented as he held open the door to the castle for the warlords, who were occupied holding their Eevees.

"So what now?" Oichi wondered.

"What do you mean?" Tadashi replied.

"Well... we can't remain passive forever. If we don't do something then Ignis might be able overpower us one day." Oich extrapolated, hesitation evident on her porcelain features. _"Or something far worse..."_

"So we take the battle to them?"

"We'd be at a disadvantage; there are only four of us and we would have to get through any defenses they set up as well." Kazumi pointed out.

"Three, actually. Someone has to look after the castle." the female twin only sighed at Naoshige's observation.

"I agree with Oichi; we have to do something. We should move out tomorrow."

"I'm not so sure brother, the least we can do is wait a few days and train some more."

"Respectfully, my Lady," Oichi started "the longer we wait, the stronger they will get." Kazumi reluctantly nodded in agreement, though took note that she, even if only for a second, seemed to put a barely noticeable emphasis on they.

"I suppose that true."

"Well then, why don't we try to enjoy the rest of the day in peace? I believe I have a deck of cards that haven't been used in a while." everyone's faces brightened at the sound of a card game; something that would get their minds off the rather eventful day.

* * *

Hanbei, now in his room and seated at his cluttered desk, sighed heavily. His report to Hideyoshi had gone better than expected, mainly because he convinced them that his actions would lure Aurora into a trap where they could be swiftly and effortlessly defeated, but the Monferno of a man still put him on cleaning duty for a week.

_"Oh well, I can always just trick Koroku into doing it." _Hanbei thought while absentmindedly scribbling something down on a piece of paper. He then heard a subtle snap and looked down to see that the pencil he was using had snapped in two from his sloppy handling. He then spun around in his chair, grabbed a replacement from the other side of his desk, and rolled back to where he previously was.

_"And Kanbei said making a chair with wheels would be pointless."_

And, as if on cue, said strategist entered the room that they shared.

"Hideyoshi requests your presence." was all the dark haired strategist said before leaving the room, Hanbei in tow. The walk to the Throne Room from their room only required one to walk down a few stone hallways and turn the occasional corner, and within a minute or two they were standing in front of the massive jade doors. Kanbei knocked on them a few times, the metal of his gauntlets creating a distinctive sound.

"It's unlocked." a cheery voice sounded from the other side. Kanbei pushed the door open and the duo entered. The flames from torches between the marble pillars were the only light in the vast room, illuminating the pathway up to the throne as they danced off the amber walls, creating an eerie and somber atmosphere that belied its occupant.

Said occupant was currently lounging casually on the jade throne, using one armrest as a headrest and hanging his legs over the other, inspecting a gold coin for any blemishes.

"Lord Hideyoshi." Hideyoshi's attention snapped to the two strategists. Tossing aside the coin as if it was worthless, he hopped down from the throne, and faced his right hand men with a cheerful smile.

"Ya know, Hanbei, I've been doin' some thinking; and I think your intellect would be better used in organizing the defense than cleaning." Hanbei's completion considerably brightened at that.

"So does this mean I'm off the hook?"

"Well, I figured you'd just trick Koroku into doing it again, so I cut out the middleman and just gave the chore list to him." Hanbei jokingly pouted, crossing his sleeve covered arms and puffing up his cheeks in a comical manner.

"But that's half the fun..." Hideyoshi only laughed heartily, one hand clutching the cream colored material of his shirt and the other his golden helmet.

"Lord Hideyoshi." Hideyoshi stopped laughing at Kanbei's two word statement.

"Huh? Oh, right. Well, I think there's been enough slacking off today. So get to work you two; I'm trustin' ya." The two strategists bowed and quickly made for the exit to the room.

* * *

Well, that finishes this chapter, and I can promise the next one will come out much sooner with Arceus the Critic finished. Though I'm even more angry at myself for taking so long to get this chapter out considering it only took me a week to finish this once I finally buckled down.

So anyways, I hoped this chapter was up to stuff and feel free to tell me what I did wrong or right.

Fun Fact: The Pencil as we know it (minus the eraser) was invented in Italy during the 1560's.


End file.
